The Pursuit of Great Jobs and Great Lives

The unique online learning environment at Western Governors University encompasses a competency-based model that has provided extraordinary value to students. Learn why nearly three-fourths of WGU graduates overall strongly agree that their education was worth the cost.

The factors that determine a graduate's success in higher education today encompass more than just getting a good job and having a good salary.

The path to connecting graduates to good jobs should also include a meaningful, holistic view of life after college. With the Gallup-Purdue Index, a study that examines long-term success of graduates as they pursue a good life and better job, Gallup has turned a microscopic lens on how graduates' experiences shaped their lives.

The WGU report highlights findings from a study of outcomes among WGU alumni who graduated between 2000 and 2016, with a focus on two of the university's critical subpopulations: underrepresented minorities and alumni who are military service members or veterans. Take a closer look to reveal findings that can provide a renewed foundation for policymakers and higher education institutions to create action plans to empower these students, and all students, to live their best life after college.

Nearly three-fourths of WGU grads strongly agree their education was worth the cost.

Gallup data show:

73%

of alumni are extremely likely to recommend the university to family, friends and colleagues, compared with

41%

of graduates nationally.

73%

of WGU graduates strongly agree that their education was worth the cost. The odds of being extremely likely to recommend the university are over

7x

higher for that group than for those who do not strongly agree.

WGU alumni believe that their education prepared them for life after college, and they strongly agree that their education was worth the cost.

The Gallup Study of Western Governors University Alumni: The Pursuit of Great Jobs and Great Lives report provides insights on how WGU graduates compare to college graduates nationally, including those who are minorities and military service members and veterans. The report, which uses insights from the Gallup-Purdue Index, provides leaders, policymakers and higher education institutions with important information about the growing population of nontraditional students.